Jaya dares MK on Kodanadu Estate controversy

Chennai, June 16 (UNI) AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa today challenged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to prove or quit politics over his claim that she had built a ''palace'' at Kodanadu in Nilgiris District after felling 2,000 trees.

Talking to newspersons here after chairing the executive meeting of the party here, she said besides Mr Karunanidhi, his Cabinet Colleagues Arcot N Veerasamy, M K Stalin and a section of the press had come out with all sorts of ''stories'' about the Kodanadu Tea Estate ''palace'' in which there was not even an iota of truth.

Ms Jayalalithaa said she would come out with a detailed statement on the issue, but meanwhile, made it clear that the ''palace'' was not built after felling 2,000 trees and it does not have 90 rooms, as claimed by Mr Karunanidhi and others.

''Not even a single tree was cut,'' she claimed. Denying the ''palace'' at the hill station had a swimming pool with warm water facility and 90 rooms, she said ''I will arrange for a visit for Mr Karunanidhi, Mr Stalin, a daily and a weekly, which wrote about this to visit the ''palace'' at Kodanadu.

''If they failed to prove (the allegations), will the leaders quit politics and the papers close down their publications?'' she asked.